


Closeted Secrets

by Imtheseme



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Sad Remus Lupin, Sad Sirius Black, Still have no idea what I am doing, Walburga Black's A+ Parenting, still am trying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24241054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imtheseme/pseuds/Imtheseme
Summary: Remus stood in shock for a moment not realizing what had happened exactly. He looked back into the closet which did indeed hold a medium sized crate. It was incredulously over glamorized, gilded silver with ornate little swirls all over it. It looked to have seen better days, a bit rusted at the hinges but otherwise normal, a padlock hung loosely from the door latch.When Remus took a closer look though he noticed a piece of chalk inside, and small drawings on the wall in-between the bars of the cage. They were tally marks.While cleaning up number 12 Grimmauld place, the order makes a discovery. Sirius deals with it as good as expected. Remus does his best to comfort his friend.Could be seen as slash if you have those colored glasses...i know i do.
Relationships: Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 147





	Closeted Secrets

Cleaning up number twelve Grimmauld place was quite the chore. Luckily enough everyone was pitching in. The Weasleys and other order members. The only person who refused to help was the owner of the most noble house, Sirius Black. 

Some of the people were huffy with that. Thinking that Sirius was acting like the spoiled child he was raised to be, too good for cleaning and all that. Remus was quick to defend him though, even offered to do twice the work to make up for Sirius's lack thereof.

Molly however was quite done with this nonsense. Sirius was a grown man and he can act like one by helping carry some of the boxes upstairs into a storage closet that Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were tasked with cleaning out and sorting just moments ago. Sirius of course obliged, he always did what he was asked if he was asked directly. So Sirius started the trip upstairs carrying three heavy boxes, Remus in front him with two.

"I just don't understand why it would lock from the outside," Ginny's voice carried over to the stairwell.

"To keep their stuff safe o' course," Ron said sounding almost exasperated

"Honestly Ronald that makes zero sense, it's a chain lock. They wanted to keep something in, not out. Besides there's a cage inside, not any valuables," Hermione spoke as though she was explaining something to a child. 

Remus had by this point made it over to said closet and put the two boxes down next to the closet door. He hadn't noticed that Sirius had come to a complete stop about four feet behind him, still at the top of the stairs.

Harry had looked amused at his friend's antics, and at that moment Remus was reminded so much of James it sent a pang through his heart. "So Sirius, did your family have a dog then," harry had ask innocently enough.

Remus answered immediately for his friend in a joking manner,"oh no, Sirius was too much of a dog to have room for an actual one". It felt good to be able to joke again, to have friends to joke with.

Remus looked over to where his friend stood, and was miffed to see that Sirius was not indeed grinning back at him. No instead a look of pure unadulterated horror was across his face. The loud crash as he dropped the three boxes he had up into this point been holding seemed to jar him. Sirius's face looked green as he took off running to the closest bathroom.

Remus stood in shock for a moment not realizing what had happened exactly. He looked back into the closet which did indeed hold a medium sized crate. It was incredulously over glamorized, gilded silver with ornate little swirls all over it. It looked to have seen better days, a bit rusted at the hinges but otherwise normal, a padlock hung loosely from the door latch. 

When Remus took a closer look though he noticed a piece of chalk inside, and small drawings on the wall in-between the bars of the cage. They were tally marks.

A flood of realization came over Remus and he gasped with shock, running after Sirius, throwing a "stay there," behind him at the kids.

Sirius was a mess in the bathroom, leaning against the toilet seat as he dry heaved. Remus just rubbed his back as soothingly as he could once he had kneeled down next to his friend. Sirius was doing so good with gaining some weight back too, Remus thought it a shame to see this morning's breakfast gone to waste. When Sirius had finished he lent back against the wall and looked at Remus with red rimmed eyes.

Remus's heart broke, Sirius was the last person who deserved this. it must have been the off putting looks that set Sirius off into a hysterical laughing fit. It was terrifying to be honest, Sirius looked like a man possessed as he choked on his own laughter as tears streamed down his face.

Remus grabbed the man and pulled him into a tight embrace, seemingly trying to lock the sanity in.

"They know! They know! Moony, Moony, They Know!" Sirius was yelling loudly at this point, completely undone. Remus did his best to calm him by rocking him slowly and hushing him.

"Hush now, it's alright, love" Remus reassured. The bathroom door swung open to reveal Molly Weasley and a gaggle of other people behind her staring at the pair with concern. Remus said nothing to them but swung his hand out in a 'go away' gesture. He gave Molly a pointed look and then another one to the children. She seemed to understand immediately as she shooed away everyone as she herself left them alone.

Thankfully the mad laughs Sirius had, had turned into sobs instead. Remus supposes that that was an improvement, though Sirius hadn't seemed any less hysterical.

"I don't want to go back in, don't make me! I'm sorry I was bad, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Sirius continued apologizing listlessly.

"It's alright love, you're not going back in," Remus carded his fingers through Sirius's long hair soothingly. The soft touches were seeming to do the trick, Sirius was relaxing into his arms as his mumbles trailed off into silence. 

With the sudden quietness and stillness, Remus felt the ache in his knees from kneeling on a tile floor doing repetitive rocking motions. He decided now would be a good time to move Sirius to a bed. 

"Can you stand," Remus inquired. He tentatively began helping his friend stand once he got the nodded approval from him. Remus helped him to his room and laid him out gently on the bed.

The day seemed to go on forever after that incident. No one spoke of it, not even when Sirius hadn't come down for dinner. Instead Remus had brought two plates up with him. 

The next day Sirius was back to his normal cheerful self, like nothing had ever happened at all. Remus kept a close eye on him though.

As the week progressed they all continued cleaning, sans Sirius. They never brought up the incident, or anything else they had found, like the whip in his father's study, or the blood stained silk sheets on Sirius's old bed. It was probably better that Sirius didn't relive those memories.


End file.
